My laundry room is small and pretty one note design wise….boring! I spent several hours searching Pinterest for laundry room ideas and decided I wanted to do a subway tile accent wall behind the washer and dryer. Then came the real problem: 1. I don’t know how to lay tile 2. The cost of the tile, materials, and labor would end up being way out of my budget.
There are great peel and stick wall paper options these days so I turned my online search focus towards that thinking I could still do an accent wall behind the washer and dryer. While searching for a great peel and stick wall paper product, I came across DIY peel and stick subway tile. DIY Peel and stick subway tile? This must be too good to be true. I read countless reviews on the peel and stick tile and decided to order the product and give it a go. Worse case scenario, I would remove the tile and paint the wall.
Picking the Right Tile
There are several brands of peel and stick tile on the market with various tile options. I knew I wanted to do a white subway tile with grey grout. I found a DIY peel and stick subway tile I loved from Tic Tac Tiles on Amazon; for $33.97 you get 10 12×12 tile sheets. After measuring the space above my washer and dryer I determined I needed 3 packages of tile.
Shop around and find the best deal. While you can order direct from the manufacturer, I am an Amazon Prime member so the price and the shipping options were better for me through Amazon.
Prepping Your Space
DIY Peel and stick tile can be used in a variety of places including the kitchen. The peel and stick tile can be placed over existing outdated kitchen backsplash, this is a great option if you want to update your kitchen but aren’t able to afford to fully redesign the space. This product is not recommended for bathrooms due to the water and condensation.
The surface you place your tile on must be given a good wipe down and allowed to dry prior to installation. The area/room you are placing your tile cannot be too cold or too hot during installation or the product will not adhere correctly. Make sure the temperature is around 70 degrees if possible to avoid any adhesive issues.
Laying the DIY Peel and Stick Tile
Laying the peel and stick tile is simple and can be done by one person. The directions in the package are pretty straight forward and helpful.
Like most walls, my wall was very uneven. I decided to start my project from the most level location, the bottom, and work my way up. Make sure the first row of tiles are placed in a level line, or as level as possible. To ensure the tiles are level, use a large level to guide your progress for the first row of tiles. After the first row of tile is in place you simply piece the remaining sheets together like a puzzle.
You might have to cut your tile down in places to make it fit and look proper on the wall. Oddly enough, scissors were the easiest tool for me to use to make my cuts. I tried a box cutter but it was a lot harder for me to use. Make sure you measure and mark your tile prior to cutting them down to ensure you do not cut off too much of the material.
I smoothed down my tile as I adhered it to the wall with a wall paper smoothing tool. Make sure you press all of the bubbles and creases out of the tile as you go.
Finishing the Design
It took me approximately 3 hours to complete the tiling process in my laundry room. I found a cute affordable laundry room sign for the tile wall at Michaels. The Wash/Dry sign was on sale for $30 and I got an additional 20 percent off by using a promo code. Michaels always has great discounts, promo codes, and coupons; make sure you check all of their deals online before buying!
I hung the Wash/Dry sign after the tile had been adhered to the wall for approximately 2 weeks. I placed the picture hanger through the peel and stick tile with no issues or damage to the tile itself.
All in all I am very happy with the way my project turned out. The total cost of this project was $101.91. If you want the look of tile without the cost and hassle, definitely consider trying peel and stick tile you will not be disappointed.